Between the Ears

We all have things as need to do to keep an even keel — blogging, exercising, reading, cooking. What’s yours? http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/08/19/daily-prompt-activity/

“I’m going to put my ears in.”

“Ears” is a term I learned at my current day job a few years ago. It’s short for earbuds or a headset of some sort. It used to sound awkward, odd. How can you put your ears in? But after some time, I took up this piece of pidgin…along with many types of ears. I have about 10 different types of earbuds, and my prized possession is a set of large, sound-cancelling headphones with the color scheme of R2D2.

I don’t get a lot of time alone these days. And I’m working on slowly changing that, but there are a lot of moments where that isn’t an option. You see, I work from home. So does my husband. My writing career and other hobbies also make me a bit of a homebody, and there are some parts of the week where my partner is the only person I interact with.

But when I really have to hone in? When I really just need to be nestled inside the bubble of my own space and focus – or, better yet, zone out entirely, flick the auto-pilot button and sit back – I put my ears in. I make a date with Audible or Damien Rice or Netflix or a podcast or even just let the white noise simulate  a rainstorm, waves, airplane noise, and it’s like all the entrances and exits inside my head have been closed off.

I’ve barricade the door.

I’ve closed off the escape hatch.

I think we’re alone now.